Times are tough all over…according to some. Driving the four blocks from my home to a local restaurant to meet a friend, I noted three store fronts had sprouted new "Out of Business" signs. They seemed so out of place surrounded by what appeared to be thriving businesses and heavy foot and vehicular traffic. Along [...]

Rarely do I feel compelled to endorse other people or companies. And I've become very selective about who I am willing to network with. These are topics for another day. But today, I made a discovery that compels me to stand up and do one of those victory dances you see on TV football or [...]

It's my birthday! I'm still alive and kicking… Not likely go to anywhere soon. That's right,. I'm celebrating on May 22.  "Another day older – and deeper in debt…" as the song goes. From time to time I google my name trying to get a sense of where I stand in this virtual  world. I [...]

This is going to be a particularly difficult year for our southern neighbors. The floods in Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee coupled with the oil spill in the Gulf are almost more than anyone who loves nature can bear. And this isn't the end, all too soon, the annual spate of hurricanes that invariably hit the [...]

There's a scam for every occasion. You don't need to be shopping for pie in the sky. You don't need to be looking for a get rich scheme to find yourself face-to-face up against a con artist. Yes, it is OK to take risks as long as you know what the ground rules are and [...]

Those who believe they can do something are probably right — and so are those who believe they can't. – Unknown I was talking to a neighbor the other day, and was temporarily caught up short. We live in a condominium  The condominium is one of those rare ones that are lucky enough to sit [...]

They're here! The daffodils have tentatively begun to show themselves. The daylilies, irises and other spring flowers are promising a splash of dramatic color in the near future. Spring arrived today. We even had two very warm days this week with temps in the upper 60s here in the Chicago area.. If you're like me [...]

I love summer.  Being one of those people who tend to have less energy when it's dark and gloomy out, I look forward to every drop of usable sunlight. But I never quite got the reasoning behind why every Spring we're called on to turn our clocks forward.  I'm a city gal who comes from [...]